Gordon England Sworn in as 73rd Secretary of The Navy

Friday, October 03, 2003

The Honorable Gordon R. England, right, receives the oath of office during a short swearing in ceremony as the 73rd Secretary of the Navy. Administering the oath is Mr. John H. La Raia, Assistant for Administration to the Under Secretary of the Navy. Secretary England becomes only the second person in history to serve twice as the leader of the Navy Marine Corps Team and the first to serve in back to back terms. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Journalist Craig P. Strawser.

England becomes only the second person in history to serve twice as the leader of the Navy Marine Corps Team and the first to serve in back to back terms. The Honorable John Mason served as the 16th Navy Secretary from 1844-1845 and 18th SECNAV from 1846-1849. England had served as the 72nd Secretary from May 2001 until January 2003, before President George W. Bush tapped him to serve as the first Deputy Secretary at the newly created Department of Homeland Security.
England said, “Our Sailors and Marines are indeed the world’s finest, and I appreciate the President giving me the opportunity to again serve our men and women in uniform and their families. Working with the Congress and our great CNO, Vern Clark; Commandant, Mike Hagee; and Secretary [Donald] Rumsfeld’s team, we will continue to transform our naval services and wage the global war on terrorism.
The Honorable Hansford T. Johnson, who served as Acting Secretary following England’s move to Homeland Security earlier this year, has also served continuously as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment). He will continue to serve America’s Sailors and Marines in that role. Johnson said, “I welcome Gordon home to his Navy Marine Corps family. It has been a distinct honor to serve as Acting Secretary during this important time in our nation’s history, and I am grateful to President Bush for the opportunity to serve. I also appreciate the outstanding work of our Sailors and Marines, and the support of Secretary Rumsfeld, Admiral Clark and General Hagee.”
Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Vern Clark praised both leaders. “Our institution is honored to welcome home Mr. England as Secretary of the Navy. His leadership, focus on mission accomplishment, and commitment to improving both our business practices and the quality of service for our Sailors and Marines, are valued and needed qualities as we build the future Navy.
Clark continued, “We owe a debt of gratitude to H.T. Johnson for his remarkable service as acting Secretary of the Navy. With his steady hand and commitment to Sailors and Marines, the Department of the Navy never missed a beat. We will undoubtedly continue to benefit from his continued service as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and the Environment.”
Since January 2003, England has served as the first Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security was established Jan. 24, 2003, to integrate 22 different agencies with a common mission to protect the American people.
Gen. Mike Hagee, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, said of the two leaders, "The Marine Corps is honored and pleased to have Mr. England return as SECNAV. His efforts in leading the Navy-Marine Corps team into the 21st century are especially welcomed because of his impressive and established record of accomplishments, particularly with respect to improving our combat capability and readiness. We look forward to continuing our role as the world's preeminent fighting force under the direction of Mr. England."
"We also are grateful to Mr. Johnson and his untiring commitment to the Marines as acting Secretary. I look forward to his continued leadership as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and the Environment."
England first joined the administration of President George W. Bush as the 72nd Secretary of the Navy and held the position from May 24, 2001, until he joined Homeland Security in January 2003. As Secretary of the Navy, England leads America’s Navy and Marine Corps and is responsible for an annual budget in excess of $110 billion and more than 800,000 personnel.
Previously, England served as executive vice president of General Dynamics Corporation from 1997 until 2001. In that position, he was responsible for two major sectors of the corporation: Information Systems and International. Previously, he served as executive vice president of the Combat Systems Group, president of General Dynamics Fort Worth aircraft company (later Lockheed), president of General Dynamics Land Systems Company and as the principal of a mergers and acquisition consulting company.
A native of Baltimore, England graduated from the University of Maryland in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. In 1975, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University and is a member of various honorary societies: Beta Gamma Sigma (business), Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership) and Eta Kappa Nu (engineering).
England has been actively involved in a variety of civic, charitable and government organizations, including serving as a city councilman; Vice Chair, Board of Goodwill, International; the USO’s Board of Governors; the Defense Science Board; the Board of Visitors at Texas Christian University; and many others.
He has been recognized for numerous professional and service contributions from multiple organizations, such as Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Maryland; the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award; the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America; the Silver Knight of Management Award from the National Management Association; the Henry M. Jackson Award and the IEEE Centennial Award.
Source: NAVSEA Newswire